5 Easy Tips for Accomplishing Your New Year’s Health Goals
Here’s how to achieve your most important health goals in 2017 and beyond…
Happy New Year! With the holidays behind us, it’s time to think about 2017. Have you set some goals for the New Year? If so, you are already on the right track… It is important to think of them more as goals and less like “resolutions,” as it makes them more attainable and easier to stick to.
Follow these 5 simple tips for reaching your health goals this year.
1. Be Specific About What Your Goals Are
One common mistake people often make when setting goals for personal health is being too general. If you simply say that a goal is “to lose weight” or “to get healthy,” there are simply too many ways to interpret your goal. Instead, make specific goals related to your most important outcomes, such as losing 10 pounds, quitting diet soft drinks, or having one vegetarian day every week.
2. Define Actionable Steps
Once you have set your specific goals, you will be able to set steps that allow you to achieve those goals. Make a plan that includes exactly what it will take – including the tools and resources you will need – to reach your most important health goals, such as buying a weight scale, getting a diet journal, buying a gym membership, or gathering recipes.
3. Track Your Progress
Make sure you have chosen a good way to track your progress, as that will let you know exactly how you are doing. This is important because as you see the concrete results – such as fewer inches around your waist, or dropping a clothing size – this will provide the motivation to continue with your health or weight loss efforts. There are a number of different ways to track your progress, such as getting a scale, taking measurements and writing them down, or taking pictures – before and after.
4. Find Someone to Report To
It can help to let someone else know about your goals as that keeps you accountable. Find someone you trust with this information – a workout buddy or a health coach is a great choice, but you can choose anyone you trust to help motivate you and keep you on track. Many people find that when others know about their goals, they are more inclined to stick with them.
5. Add Exercise Daily
Even if getting fit or working out more isn’t one of your primary health goals in the New Year, getting more exercise is still a good idea. When you exercise, not only are you doing something great for your overall health, but exercising causes your brain to release endorphins, which help to improve your mood and give you more energy. This uplifting energy can help you to stick with any other health goals you have set for yourself.
The start of a new year is a great time to put a new plan of action into place, and design a healthier, happier you! Follow the 5 tips above and you’ll be off to a great start.
